Overview

• Hours before the summit, Trump alleged on social media that South Korea was in a “purge or revolution” and later told reporters he had heard unverified reports of raids on churches and a military-linked site.
• Seoul’s presidential office said it would check and verify the remarks, as domestic investigations continue into the previous administration following Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal from office.
• During their first in-person meeting at the White House, Trump and President Lee Jae Myung emphasized cooperation on trade, defense and a shipbuilding push tied to July’s 15% tariff framework and planned Korean investments.
• Trump said he hopes to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year, while Lee urged renewed diplomacy and referenced his phased denuclearization roadmap.
• Trump said he would press for greater South Korean burden-sharing and U.S. ownership of base land; Lee noted any recent base search targeted a Korean unit within a joint facility and said a special counsel is conducting fact-finding.